The American literary world has lost one of its greats in the form of Maya Angelou, whose death was announced on May 28.

Angelou last came to Harrisburg in October 2012, when she gave a reading at the Forum as part of the Penn State Harrisburg's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Lecture Series, "A Legacy of Persistence and Hope."

Here, local poets and writers sound off on the passing of Angelou, the importance of her work and how she inspired them.

"I've been crying all morning. I'm very devastated by her passing, personally. Her book, "I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings," just saved my life as a young girl. I remember reading it and thinking here was someone who experienced something similar to what I experienced and I had not had the words to speak about. And here she was speaking for me. It was like she had given me a voice and she gave me a voice as a writer.

"I know I would not be doing what I was doing today if I had not encountered her at that age of 9 or 10 and realized not only could you go through that kind of experience come out of the other side, but you can actually be triumphant and thrive and live.

"I'm really devasted by her loss. As a country, poets are plumb lines - they let us know when we have gotten off track. Poets have their heartbeat on what is true and what is real. She was a woman of compassion and great wisdom. To have that voice now gone... it's a devastation for us." - Christine Lincoln, Poet Laureate for York City.

"For many Americans, Maya Angelou was poetry.She was once quoted as saying 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' Her words resonated in our hearts, and, in so many ways, we will never forget how she made us feel." - Le Hinton, poet and founder of Iris G. Press.

"I am so saddened by the passing of Dr. Maya Angelou and yet so grateful for the life she led. An artist, a teacher and a survivor - she was a precious gift and the embodiment of Dr. King's dream. She gave us all words to live by, and through her creative work she defined not only one generation, or one culture, but many.

"She has influenced my career as a poet and a teacher and filled me with an unbreakable sense of cultural pride. She was truly a phenomenal Woman." - Maria James-Thiaw, poet and co-host of Wordflow Wednesdays at the Cornerstone Coffeehouse.

"Maya Angelou is one of my absolute heroes. As a budding poet myself, she inspired me - not only because of the beauty of her words, but also for the humanity that she displayed, the absolute brilliance she displayed and the call to all of us to put down those barriers of racial prejudice, stigma and stereotyping and make the world a better place.

"She had a rich voice - but even a better spirit, if you will. She simply had a tremendous heart for humanity, that is what I always thought. She was able to capture in words the feeling of what all of us would truly like to see this world be. She also could paint a picture like no one's business.

"She did things out of love and respect for humanity. Her writing, while it was important - but it was her ability to love people and love humanity that was a greater gift. I think she was very sincere about that. It was something she really lived.

"I was able to see her the last time she was here in Harrisburg, I think it was at the Forum. She was frail and everything. She came out and sat on that stage and illuminated that place for a good part of an hour.

"Just to meet her in person, see her up close and know that what you saw on the stage was exactly what you saw in person.

"It's just a real lose to the community. On one hand it's a loss, but on the other hand we understand we had a tremendous gift in her presence." - Rev. Nathaniel Gadsden, founder of Writer's Workshop in Harrisburg.

"She was one of the strongest advocates of that genre of writing that I know of.She took a very spiritual approach to her expression. I just thought she was on another level. Her voice was very distinct and set apart from so many others." - Betsy Hurley, founder and director of the Lancaster Literary Guild.

"We have lost an important poetic voice with the passing of Maya Angelou. She was an inspiration to so many people and to me as well; inspired by her beautiful art, the music in it (which makes sense as she was a very good singer).

"Along with being a gifted poet Maya was an accomplished journalist, playwright and author. For poet/journalists like me it was heartening to see how someone could excel in both areas and beyond. Yes, she was a highly skilled and intelligent writer but it was that moral force in her vision, that compassion and courage that set her apart. Maya Angelou will be missed." - Rick Kearns, Poet Laureate of Harrisburg

Did Maya Angelou inspire you? How will you remember her? Tell us in the comments.